Clamp



(No Model.)

F. F. HOUSTON.

CLAMP.

No. 357,387. Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR @Mx/ JiBY ATTORNEYS. I

N. PETERS, Phbl0-Lilh0gmph2n Waahingiom n. a

FREDERICK FREEMAN HOUSTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,387, dated February8, 1887.

Application filed June 5, 1886. Serial No. 204,255. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK FREEMAN HOUSTON, of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and Improved Clamps, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relatcsto clamps adapted more especially for the use ofcarpenters, cabinetmakers, frame and box makers, and woodworkers ingeneral, while clamping or gluing their work; and the invention .has forits object to provide an efficient and durable device of this character.

The invention consists in certain novel fea. tures of construction andcombinations of parts of the clamp, and in an arrangement of a series ofclamps on a frame for effect on all four sides of framed work at once,all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a series of my improved clampsarranged on a frame, partly broken away, and within which a piece ofwork-such as a picture-frame, sash, blind, or door-may be clamped Fig. 2is a side view of one of the clamps, showing the wedgeblocks as adjustedprior to clamping an object. Fig. 3 is a like view, but shows thewedgeblocks as adjusted for clamping the work. Fig. 4 is an edge view ofone of the clampheads as applied to a clamp-bar carrying a foot-block;and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through one of the clamps, taken onthe line 00 m, Fig. 2.

The clamp ismade with two metal plates, A B, the opposingfaces of whichare bent or flared at opposite end parts of the plates, as at we and bb, respectively, and from the ends of these parts a b flanges a a b 1)project about parallel with the bar 0, to which the clamp is held inworking position by metal grip-plates D D and E E and bolt-sF G, as nextdescribed. The plates D D are laid at their one ends over the flanges ca of the clamp-plate A, and extend over opposite edges of the clamp-barO. The bolt F is then passed through the plates D D and the flanges a. aat oneface of the bar 0, and is held to place by its not f, and the boltG is passed through the opposite ends of the plates D D and at the otherface of the clamp-bar G, and is held by its nut g.

The clamp-plate A is provided with an outturned flange, a", which liesflat against one face of the bar 0, and the grip-plates D D are providedwith shoulders (I d,which rest against the opposite face of the bar 0,whereby the clamp is guided as it is shifted along the bar into properposition to act on the work.

The grip-plates E E are shown as backward extensions of the flanges b b"of the clampplate B, and these plates E have extremities c, which arebent over upon the back face of the clamp-bar O, and aid the shouldersdof plates D in holding the clamp to andguidingit along the bar; I

To the plates E E there is held by bolts or screws h the presser-lolockH of the clamp, which block may consist of a short piece of wood fittedto the outer faceof the bent clampplate B, or the presser may consist ofa long sliding head block or bar, as at H, Fig. 1, held at opposite endsbetween the plates E E of two clamps, which are held to clamp-bars 0 Gwhich are fixed at their one ends to the opposite ends of a clamp-bar,O, and at their other ends are connected together by a crossbar, 0*.These bars G H C (3 C constitute a frame in which any piece of square orrectangular work may be clamped by two clamps holding the slide-bar H,and by two other clamps, one on each of the bars 0 H, and as presentlyexplained. The edges of the clamp-barsO G H 0 G on which the clampplatesD E act, are faced with metal plates 0, to prevent undue wear of thebars and provide for a firm hold of the clamps to the bars.

Between the opposing flared faces a b a b of the clamp-plates A B thereare placed opposite wedge-blooks, I J, which are held against the faceof the clamp-bar by lips orlugs K on the plates A B, and through thesewedges I J a headed bolt, L, is passed loosely, and is provided with anut, M, outside of one of the wedges. I make the Wedges I J preferablyof a wood block, as at ij, covered at the edges by a metal frame orfacing, as at ij, to resist wear and promote durability.

To lugs 12 n on the back of the clamp-plateB there are connected theextremities of a bentwire clip, N, to which is connected one end ofaspiral spring, 0, the other end of which is attached to the bolt F. Thespring normally contracts and tends to draw the clamp-plates A B towardeach other. Any other form of spring having a like effect may beemployed. \Vhen the nut M is unscrewed toward the extremity of the boltL, the spring 0, by drawing on the plates A B, separates the wedges I J,as in Fig. 2, and when the nut M is screwed onto or along the bolt L,when the bolts F G are tightened, the prcsser-block H or slide-bar Hwill be forced forward against the work to be clamped.

The plate A is provided with suitable slots or openings, through whichthe spring 0 and the sides of the clip N may pass.

\Vhen frames or other objects having moldings or projections on theirouter sides are to be clamped, removable blocks of like shape may beinterposed between the objects and the presser-bloeks of the clamp.

The operation is as follows: We will suppose a square or rectangularpiece of joined work-such as a picture-framcis to be held by theclampframe and clamps shown in Fig. 1. The nuts M of all the clamps willbe unscrewed to allow separation of the clampwedges I J, and the clampson the frame-bars C C will he slid along them to cause two oppositesides of the picture-frame to be held between the fra1ne-bars C H,whereupon the bolts F G of theclamps on the bars 0 C will be tightenedto hold these clamps against back movement. The two clamps on theframe-bars O H then will he slid along the bars until the other twosides of the pictureframe are confined between the bar 0 and theresser-blocks H H of these clamps. If, now, the nuts M of all fourclamps are tightened, the slide-bar H and presscr-blocks H H will beforced inward, and the picture-frame will be clamped at all four of itssides simultaneously, as will readily be understood. The block H of thesingle clamp on the bar 0 in Fig. 4 will be pressed toward thefoot-block H, fixed to the bar, when the nut M is tightened, to clampwork being glue-jointed or otherwise fastened between the blocks H H Itis obvious that theclamps thus may be used on a barfrarne or on a singlebar, and are adapted to clamp a large variety of work requiring joiningor gluing in many branches of trade; but the clamps are designed moreparticularly for wood-workers use.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, in,a clamp, of plates A B,having opposing inclined faces, as at a b a b, said plate A providedwith means for binding it to a clamp-bar, and said bar and said plate Bprovided with a presser block or bar, wedges, as at I J, fitted betweenthe plates A B, and a bolt, L, passed through the wedges and providedwith a nut, M, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a clamp, of a bar, as at 0, plates A B, havingopposing inclined faces a b, grip-plates D D, and bolts F G, adapted tohold the plate A to bar 0, gripplates E, holding the plate B to bar 0.wedges, as at I J, fitted between plates A B, and a bolt, L, passedthrough the wedges and provided with a nut, M, substantially asdescribed, for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a clamp, of a bar, as at 0, plates A B, havingopposing inclined faces a b, grip plates D D E E, and bolts F G, holdingthe plates A B to the bar 0, elastic or yielding connections-such as aclip, N, and spring O-arranged to draw the plates A B toward each other,wedges I J, fitted between plates A B, and a bolt, L, passed through thewedges and provided with a nut, M, substantially as described, for thepurposes set forth.

4. In combination, a clamp-bar, G, movable clamp-head H, held to thebar, a plate, A, having flanges "a grip-plates D D, having shoulders cl,bolts F G in the plates D A, beveled blocks I J, interposed between theopposing beveled faces of the plate A and head H, and a device fordrawing the blocks I J toward each other, substantially as described,for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with a clamp-bar, as at O, a clamp-plate, A, heldrigidly to the bar, a movable plate, B, opposite plate A, and adapted tohold a clamping-head, as at H, wedge-blocks I J, placed between plates AB, and a device for drawing the blocks I J toward each other, ofblock-retaining lips K on the plates A B, substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. The combination, in a clamping device, of a series of bars, 0 H C" OO, clamps comprising pairs of plates A B, wedge-blocks I J, interposedbetween the plates, and bolts and nuts L M, substantially as specified,said bar H being attached to the plates B of opposite clamps on the bars0" G to move with said plates, and said bars 0 H also carrying clampshaving resser-blocks H H, adapted for movement toward the bar 0",substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

FREDERICK FREEMAN HOUSTON.

Witnesses:

MATT. \V. PINKERTON, JOHN J. Cnown.

